1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to providing an electronic document signature service. More specifically, one or more embodiments relate to systems and methods of securely tracking and verifying user signatures with respect to an electronic document.
2. Background and Relevant Art
Creating, sharing, and storing electronic documents is a common part of modern life. In many instances, business or individual users have the need to share an electronic document for purposes of obtaining various signatures. For example, users may desire to track an electronic signature (or “e-signature”) process for an electronic document as multiple users sign the electronic document.
As is often the case, the various users that may need to sign a particular electronic document are geographically located throughout the world and/or are associated with different organizations. Therefore, some conventional electronic document signature services are standalone third-party services that can provide document access to each of the various users regardless of their geographic location or organization affiliation. For example, a user can send an electronic document to an electronic document signature service over the Internet. The various other users can access the electronic document by way of the signature service through the Internet, and the signature service can track the electronic signatures of the electronic document by the various other users.
Despite the conveniences, third-party electronic document signature services have a number of disadvantages. In particular, often an electronic document (e.g., a contract) contains sensitive or confidential information. The sensitive or confidential information creates issues for the users of the document signature service, as well as the providers of the document signature service.
In the first instance, most users are hesitant to send sensitive or confidential information to a third-party service. Regardless of the sophistication and reputation of the third-party provider, the third-party provider in conventional electronic document signature services has access to the sensitive or confidential information, which creates an inherent risk. For example, a data security breach in the document signature service could result in compromising the document contents. In many situations the risk of compromising the sensitive or confidential information outweighs the benefits of using the document signature system.
From a document signature service provider's perspective, there are a number of additional problems associated with storing electronic documents that contain sensitive or confidential information. For example, in the event that a security breach occurs within the document signature service, the provider may be liable for damages that result from the compromised sensitive and confidential information. Depending on the type of confidential information compromised, the provider's liability could be substantial. In addition, any compromise in sensitive and confidential information would severely diminish the brand of the provider, substantially damaging the provider's own business.
Providers not only have to focus on security threats from outside the system (e.g., malicious computer attacks), but they also have to set up security access systems and protocols to minimize security threats that may come from within the system (e.g., a defector employee). The security systems and features not only involve significant resources, but they often further complicate the operation of conventional document signature services. Moreover, even with the best security systems, features and procedures, a provider may never completely eliminate the risks associated with storing confidential information associated with a conventional document signature service.
In addition to the liability and expense associated with trying to protect confidential information, the providers of conventional electronic document signature services often deal with subpoenas and other requests to obtain electronic documents stored in the system. The time and resources needed to respond properly to subpoenas and other requests for information may create a large operational burden for the provider. Therefore, the mere fact that conventional document signature service providers have access to the contents of the documents may create a significant expense and burden.
These and other disadvantages may exist with respect to conventional electronic signature services.